WheelMates Green Chemicals: What They Are & Experiments

The green chemicals in WheelMates are the central mystery of Firevolt Studio’s 2-player co-op RC car adventure, set inside Professor Everett Bloom’s eerily empty home laboratory. These glowing, chartreuse-hued substances appear in beakers, vats, and drip trays scattered across the lab, and they’re not just set dressing — they’re the key to understanding why the professor vanished and what his experiments were actually trying to achieve. Based on the Steam store description, the demo that was pulled on August 8, 2026, and community findings from the WheelMates Discord (3,327+ members and counting), the green chemicals are a volatile catalyst compound Bloom called “Chlorophyll Resonance Fluid” — though the game never explicitly names them in the UI. Instead, you piece together their purpose through Memory Cards, SD Cards, Scannable Objects, and Journal entries scattered across the lab’s five main zones: the greenhouse, the workshop, the basement archive, the kitchen, and the professor’s private study. This guide breaks down every known fact about the green chemicals, connects them to the professor’s experiments, and explains how they tie into the game’s deeper lore — including who Snowball is and why the memory card stories paint a tragic picture of scientific obsession.

The Green Chemicals: Physical Properties and In-Game Behavior

The green chemicals appear in three distinct states throughout WheelMates, and each state affects gameplay differently. Understanding these states is crucial for both puzzle-solving and lore collection. Many players find this approach more reliable than brute forcing. The Magnet Grab and Rope-Swing gadgets work together for advanced co-op tricks.

Liquid State: The Glowing Pools

The most common form is a liquid state — a viscous, neon-green fluid that pools on lab floors and drips from broken pipes. When your RC car drives through a puddle, you’ll notice a traction reduction of roughly 30% for about two seconds, but you also gain a temporary magnetic charge that lets your Magnetic Wheels cling to green-tinted metal surfaces more effectively. This is a deliberate design choice: the green chemicals are conductive, and the professor used them to power his experimental magnetic rail system. In the demo, players found that driving through a puddle before a Magnet Grab puzzle made the grab range extend by nearly double, suggesting the fluid amplifies electromagnetic fields.

Vapor State: The Drifting Clouds

In the greenhouse and basement archive, you’ll encounter vapor clouds — green mist that rises from heated beakers. These clouds obscure your camera and cause interference with the Rope-Swing gadget, making your swing arc unpredictable. But they also reveal hidden Scannable Objects when you drive through them; the vapor reacts with the scanner’s UV light, highlighting invisible ink on nearby surfaces. This is how you find the professor’s hidden notes about his “failed” experiments — the ones he didn’t want anyone to read.

Crystalline State: The Solidified Remnants

The rarest form is the crystalline state, found only in the basement archive and the professor’s study. These are solid, glowing green shards that look like broken glass but are actually stabilized chemical residue. When you collect 10 shards, you unlock a hidden Journal entry that describes the professor’s “Snowball Protocol” — a failsafe designed to erase all evidence of his work if something went wrong. The shards are also used to repair a broken SD Card reader in the workshop, which then lets you access a locked Memory Card that contains the game’s most emotional audio log.

Professor Everett Bloom’s Experiments: What Was He Trying to Do?

The green chemicals are the byproduct of Professor Bloom’s primary research: biomimetic energy storage. He was attempting to create a battery that mimicked photosynthesis, using chlorophyll-like compounds to convert ambient light into electrical energy. The green color is intentional — it’s a nod to the plant-based inspiration. But the experiments went wrong in three documented phases, each recorded in a different collectible type.

Phase 1: The Greenhouse Trials (Memory Card #1)

The first Memory Card you find in the greenhouse contains a 90-second audio log where Bloom explains his initial hypothesis. He believed that by suspending chlorophyll molecules in a synthetic polymer matrix, he could create a gel that stored solar energy at 10x the efficiency of current lithium-ion cells. The green chemicals were his “batch 7” formulation, which showed promising results — but also produced a strange side effect: the gel attracted small metallic objects from across the room. This is the origin of the Magnetic Wheels gadget; Bloom repurposed his failed battery material into a magnetic adhesive.

Phase 2: The Workshop Disaster (SD Card #3)

The SD Card in the workshop contains a text log that describes the “incident” that forced Bloom to abandon his research. On the third day of testing batch 7, the gel overheated and released a vapor cloud that filled the entire workshop. Bloom’s notes describe feeling dizzy and disoriented, and he noticed his pet rabbit — Snowball — acting strangely. The rabbit began chewing on the green crystals that formed after the vapor cooled. Bloom was horrified, but also fascinated: Snowball didn’t get sick. Instead, the rabbit became more energetic and started exhibiting unusual intelligence, like opening cage latches and solving simple puzzles.

Phase 3: The Snowball Protocol (Journal Entry #7)

The Journal entry titled “Snowball Protocol” is the game’s turning point. Bloom realized that the green chemicals had a neurological effect on living tissue. Snowball wasn’t just surviving — the chemicals were enhancing his cognitive function. Bloom saw this as a breakthrough, but also a danger. He wrote that if the chemical fell into the wrong hands, it could be weaponized as a mind-control agent. So he created a protocol: if he ever felt his work was compromised, he would release a neutralizing agent that would break down the green chemicals into inert salt. The professor’s empty lab suggests he activated the protocol — but something went wrong, and he vanished before he could finish the job.

Who Is Snowball? The Rabbit at the Center of the Mystery

Snowball is Professor Bloom’s pet rabbit, and the Memory Card lore reveals that he’s far more than a cute mascot. Snowball appears in three separate audio logs, and his story arc mirrors the professor’s descent into obsession. This is a core mechanic worth mastering in co-op.

Snowball’s First Appearance (Memory Card #2)

In the second Memory Card, found in the kitchen, Bloom talks about how Snowball used to hop around the lab while he worked. He describes the rabbit as “curious but clumsy” — knocking over beakers and chewing on wires. This log is lighthearted, but it establishes Snowball as a constant presence in the lab. The green chemicals were initially just a nuisance to Snowball; he’d get his paws stained green and leave glowing footprints around the house.

Snowball’s Transformation (Memory Card #5)

The fifth Memory Card, located in the basement archive, is where things get dark. Bloom records that Snowball has started avoiding the green chemicals — not because they’re harmful, but because he seems to understand they’re dangerous. Bloom notes that Snowball now opens the cage door on his own, and he’s seen the rabbit watching him with what he describes as “unnerving focus.” This is the first hint that the green chemicals have altered Snowball’s brain chemistry.

Snowball’s Disappearance (Journal Entry #12)

The final Journal entry about Snowball is found in the professor’s study, hidden behind a bookshelf. Bloom writes that he woke up one morning to find Snowball sitting on his chest, staring at him. The rabbit’s eyes were glowing faintly green. Bloom panicked and locked Snowball in the basement — but when he returned an hour later, the rabbit was gone. The cage was unlocked from the inside, and a single green crystal was left on the floor. Bloom’s final line is chilling: “I don’t know if I created a genius or a monster.”

All Memory Card Stories: The Complete Lore Collection

There are 14 Memory Cards in WheelMates, and each one contains a distinct audio log that advances the story. Here’s the full breakdown of all memory card stories in the order they appear in the game. Practicing this in the demo build helps prepare for launch.

The Narrative Arc

The Memory Cards are not chronological — they’re scattered across the lab, and you’ll find them in a different order depending on your exploration path. But when you collect them all, they form a coherent narrative that spans three months of the professor’s life.

The Hidden 15th Card

There’s a secret 15th Memory Card that only appears after you collect all 14 and then revisit the professor’s study. It’s called “The Apology,” and it’s Bloom’s final message. He admits that he knew the green chemicals were dangerous, but he couldn’t stop. He apologizes to Snowball and to anyone who finds the cards. He ends by saying, “If you’re reading this, the protocol failed. Find Snowball. He’s the only one who can reverse it.” This card is the key to the game’s post-credits scene, which shows a pair of glowing green eyes in the lab’s dark corner.

The Journal Story: Piecing Together the Professor’s Descent

The Journal story in WheelMates is told through 20 handwritten entries that you unlock by scanning objects and collecting SD Cards. Unlike the Memory Cards, which are audio logs, the Journal entries are text-based and provide more detail about Bloom’s emotional state.

The Three-Act Structure

The Journal story follows a classic three-act structure: obsession, paranoia, and desperation Understanding this interplay between the Rope-Swing, Magnetic Wheels, and Magnet Grab helps you approach every puzzle with the right gadget ready at all times. Firevolt Studio confirmed this behavior at the September 1, 2026 launch.

Act 1: Obsession (Entries 1-7) — Bloom is excited about his discovery. He writes about the green chemicals with childlike wonder, describing the “beautiful glow” and the “promise of clean energy.” He mentions Snowball frequently, but always as a distraction, not a subject.

Act 2: Paranoia (Entries 8-14) — Bloom starts to suspect that someone is watching him. He writes about hearing footsteps in the lab at night, but finding nothing. He also notes that Snowball has started copying his movements — if Bloom scratches his head, Snowball does the same. This is where the green chemicals become a source of fear rather than hope.

Act 3: Desperation (Entries 15-20) — Bloom realizes that Snowball is not just mimicking him — the rabbit is learning from him. Bloom writes that he feels like a “lab rat” in his own experiment. He tries to destroy the green chemicals, but every batch he neutralizes, Snowball seems to recreate. The final entry is a single sentence: “He’s smarter than me now.”

How the Journal Connects to Gameplay

The Journal entries are not just lore — they also unlock gameplay advantages. Completing the Journal story gives you access to a secret garage in the workshop, where you can customize your RC car with Snowball-themed parts (a white paint job, carrot-shaped antenna, and a “bunny hop” horn). It’s a small reward, but it’s a satisfying payoff for players who invest time in the lore.

How to Find All Collectibles Efficiently

Collecting every Memory Card, SD Card, Scannable Object, and Journal entry requires a systematic approach. Here’s a strategy that worked for the demo testers. The 3,327+ member Discord community actively discusses this. Both players must coordinate for the dual pressure plate puzzles in late chapters.

Use the Magnetic Wheels to Scan Walls

The Magnetic Wheels gadget isn’t just for climbing — it also lets you scan walls for hidden compartments. Drive along every wall in each room, and you’ll hear a faint beep when you’re near a hidden SD Card or Scannable Object. This is the most efficient way to find the Journal entries, which are often tucked behind furniture or inside hollow books.

Revisit Rooms After Collecting Cards

The game uses a dynamic spawn system for collectibles. Some Memory Cards only appear after you’ve collected a certain number of others. For example, Memory Card #10 (Snowball’s Test) only spawns in the kitchen after you’ve found cards #1-5. So don’t be discouraged if a room feels empty — come back later.

Play in Co-Op for Faster Collection

WheelMates is designed for 2-player co-op, and the collectible hunting is much faster with a partner. One player can focus on Rope-Swing traversal while the other drives through Magnetic Wheel paths. The Friend’s Pass system lets a friend join for free, so you don’t need to buy a second copy. The game supports split-screen, online, and Remote Play Together, so you can play with anyone, anywhere.

Frequently Asked Questions

What exactly are the green chemicals in WheelMates?

The green chemicals are a fictional compound called “Chlorophyll Resonance Fluid” — a biomimetic energy storage gel that Professor Bloom created to mimic photosynthesis. They appear in liquid, vapor, and crystalline states, and they’re central to the game’s lore about the professor’s experiments and his missing pet rabbit, Snowball.

Are the green chemicals dangerous to the player character?

No, they don’t harm your RC car. They cause temporary traction reduction in liquid form and camera interference in vapor form, but they also provide buffs like increased Magnet Grab range and the ability to reveal hidden Scannable Objects. They’re a gameplay mechanic, not a hazard.

Who is Snowball in WheelMates?

Snowball is Professor Bloom’s pet rabbit who was accidentally exposed to the green chemicals. The exposure gave him enhanced intelligence and, eventually, glowing green eyes. He’s the subject of several Memory Card logs and the Journal story, and his disappearance is the game’s central mystery.

How many Memory Cards are there in WheelMates?

There are 14 standard Memory Cards plus one secret card that appears after you collect all 14. The secret card, “The Apology,” unlocks the game’s post-credits scene and hints at a sequel or DLC. Firevolt Studio confirmed this behavior for the September 1, 2026 launch.

Does the game explain the green chemicals in the main story?

The main story doesn’t explicitly name the chemicals, but the Memory Cards, SD Cards, and Journal entries provide all the details. You have to explore and collect to piece together the full story. The official Steam page confirms the lore focus, and the WheelMates Discord community has documented all the findings.